New Water Meter Installation Underway

City of La Marque water meter replacement program was approved by City Council in December 2017 and, after months of careful planning, citywide installation is scheduled to begin May 21, 2018. Over the last several months, city staff have been diligently ordering inventory, installing hardware and testing software.

During the week of May 7, 2018, 10 meters were installed throughout the city.

During the week of May 14, 2018, those meters will be used to test transmission to the towers and monitor software. City staff will ensure the system is performing as expected before citywide installation begins.

Beginning May 21, 2018, La Marque citizens and business owners can expect to see representatives from Pedal Valves, La Marque’s water meter installation contractor, working throughout the city.

Pedal Valves workers will be knocking on doors to identify themselves and notify that they will be changing out the water meter.

This process will consist of the meter being located, water being shutoff, changing out the meter, flushing the line, taking pictures and restoring service.

6,500 water meters are being replaced over the next six to eight months.

Any citizen or business that requires constant water supply for medical conditions or business operations should contact La Marque Utility Billing as soon as possible by calling 409-938-9209 or emailing ub@cityoflamarque.org.

According to Tina Ortiz, La Marque Utility Billing Manager, residents have been calling, asking how this will impact them.

“In most cases, water service will be down for less than 15 minutes,” said Ortiz. “Water customers should experience little to no inconvenience during this process. In the event of a leak or a line break during installation, it may take the technicians a little longer to swap your meter but water service will be restored before contractors leave the premises.”

Tips for easy water meter installation:

Water meter should be cleared of debris, landscaping, trash cans, vehicles, etc.

For residents with meters in the back yard, installers will need access upon arrival

Dogs and/or animals should be removed from the area so technicians can safely perform their job and get your new meter installed quickly

“The City of La Marque is looking forward to replacing all our meters,” said Ortiz. “It will take six to eight months to have all 6,500 meters changed but we are very excited. The Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Project will be a great asset to our city and our citizens. Utility Billing staff will be able to provide citizens with water usage breakdowns, offering more transparent water usage data.”

Advanced Metering Infrastructure will reduce non-revenue water loss for the City of La Marque, aid in conservation, help with asset management and improve customer service. The project was approved by City Council as part of a larger infrastructure improvement plan in response to a Summer 2016 Leak Detection Study.

New meter installation will begin on the east side of La Marque and depends on billing cycle. Detailed information will be posted online at ub.cityoflamarque.org and monthly updates will be provided. Citizens are welcome to contact the Utility Billing Department if they have any questions concerning the meter replacement project. For information, email ub@cityoflamarque.org or call 409-938-9209.